The Thing About Love
by LAchicknikki
Summary: The thing about love is that, somehow, it's the greatest feeling in the world and yet can be the source of the greatest pain. They loved each other to an indescribable degree and yet Life was keeping them apart. ZV one shot


**_Title: _The Thing About Love**

**_Summary: The thing about love is that, somehow, it's the greatest feeling in the world and yet can be the source of the greatest pain. They loved each other to an indescribable degree and yet Life was keeping them apart. ZV one shot_**

**_Disclaimer: The events below are merely the result of my imagination and I have no personal relationship with any of the individuals mentioned/reference below (clearly)._**

**_Rated T (infrequent strong language)_**

**_HEY! This is just a quick ZV oneshot inspired by me watching Sucker Punch for the first time a couple of weeks ago (if you haven't seen it yet - YOU MUST!) and it's mainly fluff but with a bit of emotion in there too :)  
>Will hopefully make time to get you guys new chapters of Heartbreak Melodies and The Power of Three (sincere apologies for lack of updates, but have only just - last week - finished exams).<em>**

**_Hope you guys enjoy. Please review!_**

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><p><em>Vanessa's quiet demeanour immediately alerted Zac to the fact that something was amiss. He crossed the floor of his bedroom briskly and climbed into the bed right beside her. Wrapping his arms around Vanessa's body as she automatically moulded herself against him. She seemed frustrated by the t-shirt he wore; tugging at the hem before sliding her hand beneath the cotton material and over his warm skin underneath.<em>

_Zac picked up on her signal instantly and pulled back from their embrace to rid himself of his top. He pulled her back against him in an almost primal comforting gesture of providing skin contact._

_"Van?" he questioned gently, stroking her back._

_"I didn't...I didn't go," Vanessa admitted sheepishly, not meeting his inquisitive eyes. "I cancelled."_

_"What? Baby, why? You said you wouldn't put this off again," he admonished. "Van, look at me," he demanding softly, titling her chin upwards. "What's going on with this? We both read that script and you know how amazing an opportunity it'd be for you...talk to me," he encouraged, pecking at her lips continuously until she sighed, signally her willingness to concede._

_ "Blondie's a long way from Gabriella," she looked up at him with wide, vulnerable eyes._

_"Isn't that what you wanted, though?" Zac questioned, confused. "We've both been after projects that give us something different, right?"_

_"But it's different for me, Zac," she sighed._

_"Why? Cuz you're a girl?"_

_"No...well...yeah in a way but it's bigger than that." she didn't elaborate instantly, hoping Zac would drop the subject but his unwavering gaze told her otherwise and she rolled her eyes at the realisation. She dropped her eyes. "Doing this movie is just me handing the media the perfect materials to mock me all over again." she looked up and saw the realisation and guilt dawn in Zac's eyes. "It's set in a brothel," she pointed out with a bitter laugh. "It's just too easy for them: 'Hudgens takes her cl__othes off - again!' '...shows her sexy side..' I'm just not sure whether it's worth the hassle."_

_"Hey, when all that shit happened," Zac began, his anger budding the thought of his girlfriend being hurt all over again. "We knew that people were gonna be fucks about it and we knew that sometimes it would be tough, didn't we?" Vanessa nodded softly. "But we also knew that we had each other," he stressed imploringly. He cupped her cheek and pleaded with his eyes for her not to allow vicious comments to deter her. "Baby, I know that it can be hard for you and I can never express how sorry I am about that, but we cant let that stop us. You deserve for people to see what you can do when you aren't being Gabriella. You deserve for people to see what you can do with some real drama and emotion in a script. And you know what, Van? If they were pervs enough to google you naked," he saw he flinch at the thought but he knew his comment was warranted. He squeezed her closer and softly kissed her lips, capturing her plump, top lip between his own. "Then you deserve for them to realise that you're so much more than that." He saw a trace of that familiar glint of determination flash and he knew he was on the right track to reawaken her fighting spirit. "And I know you are, because I've been able to see every part of you and you shouldn't let anyone take that away from you because they want to see you just as a body."_

::::/::::

The buzz and activity of the previous hours was silenced as Vanessa close the heavy oak behind her small figure. She sighed a deep breath of relief and contemplated the mixed feelings of the evening. It was no secret that the film hadn't been received well but nevertheless she was proud of the finished product that had been premiered that night, before some of her closest friends and most importantly, her family. Despite that, though, the almost consistently bad reviews garnered for the film were more than frustrating. She and the rest of the girls (Zack went without saying) had worked their asses off doing the movie and yet the critics had slammed it, for no other reason than not liking the message of female empowerment that Zack wanted to get out there. She chuckled, bitterly at the thought.

She was beyond tired and she suspected even a little tipsy as she had been offered a great number of congratulatory glasses of champagne and even a few cocktails of the same intention. She dropped her keys lazily on the small table that sat in the entrance hall and released a tired yawn as she moved further into her home. Slowly, she moved towards the living area, and mentally berated herself for having chosen such high heels for the evening but her thought process was interrupted when she caught sight of the small square gift box on the coffee table in the living room and as she approached, she noticed an accompanying card.

Her brows furrowed as she hurriedly pulled off her heels so she could cross the room faster and inspect the package; like an excited child, she shuffled quickly across to the table once she was free of the offending items. Her hand hovered over the card, almost as though she feared touching it, but even without getting too close she could clearly make out the four letters that marked the enveloped: Van x  
>Her heart leapt into her mouth as she observed the scrawl she knew by instinct and she licked her lips, releasing a sequence of short, sharp breaths to ease her trepidation. Vanessa reached out to grasp he gift and her thumb stroked tenderly over the card as she imagined those strong hands she loved, also having caressed the item. Biting her lower lip nervously, she bought the gift over to he sofa where she sat down, momentarily pausing to knead the tense muscles of her calves. She tore the envelope open carefully, and the words that greeted her caused tears to well in her eyes.<p>

_"Van,_

_One day after filming, when we were in Vancouver, you saw this in the window at a jewellery store and said how you should buy it, as you could now 'officially kick ass.'"_

Vanessa choked out a laugh as she recalled the memory but her laugh came mingled with tears that fell easily down her cheek.

_"I went back and got it the next day with the plan of giving it to you on your premiere night. I'm sorry this is not exactly as I had planned._

_Congratulations,_

_Zac x"_

She knew what would be revealed once she lifted the lid of the gift box, but she was moved to even more tears despite the fact as she saw the glint of the silver charm; it was a pair of small boxing gloves. In addition there was an inscribed silver plaque that Vanessa knew to be Zac's own request and it read simply, NINJAS x. It was a personal joke of her and Zac's: a nickname the couple had given themselves when an afternoon of taking extreme precautions to avoid paparazzi had left the two crying with laughter.

Suddenly, her phone began to ring, jolting her from her reverie and causing her to scramble wildly to free the clasp of her purse to retrieve the item.

"Zac," she greeted instantly.

"Uhh...hey," came the reply from her...Zac. (She didn't quite know what to call him. They were always beyond titles but now it was just the case that they really didn't want to attach labels to each other that made their current situation seem permanent.)

"Hi," she said softly. Somehow she felt as though she were once again only sixteen, feeling awkward when on the phone to the boy she had met at the audition for an obscure Disney movie.

"Umm...I..I didn't mean to disturb you," Zac blurted out, feeling just as uncomfortable as Vanessa - a fact he hated, when he considered the nature of their relationship. "You're probably partying it up so I won't keep you long."

"No...no, it's not like that," Vanessa instantly corrected, "I'm just at home now so..." she hesitated. "I'm all yours." She was sure she heard Zac's breath hitch at the double meaning of her sentence but neither spoke for a significant few seconds.

"So you're at home? Did you...I left you something."

When taking necessary items from each others home at the end of the year, both had agreed to leave the other with a spare key; keeping doors to each others lives both physically and metaphorically open.

"Yeah! I...it was..." why was it so hard to her to say the perfect thing at that moment? To tell him exactly what his gift had made her feel. "Thank you," she said, simply.

Knowing her as well as he did, Zac found that her emphasis communicated more to him than those two words possibly could have, if spoken by anybody else.

"It's nothing, really," he chuckled while blushing on he other end of the line, knowing he had made her happy. "I'm glad you still like it...would've kinda sucked if you didn't."

"I love it."

::::/::::

_"Zac?" Vanessa called as she hurriedly ran through her home in search of her boyfriend. She was so excited that she didn't care as she tripped and stumbled through the house...not that such clumsy behaviour was in any way unusual for her. "Babe!" she called impatiently._

_"I'm in here," came Zac's reply._

_She followed the sound of his voice eagerly, sprinting into the room and then throwing her arms around his neck the instant their eyes met. She laughed triumphantly while in his embrace, and he could feel her warm breath tickling his skin. Holding her around her waist tightly, he pressed his lips repeatedly against any exposed skin he could reach; her neck, ear and shoulder._

_"Baby?" he questioned pulling back slightly so their eyes could meet. He was smiling expectantly, already suspecting what her feedback was going to be._

_"I aced it, Zac!" She beamed, making Zac's heart swell with pride. "I went in there and just did absolutely everything and I forgot all the bullshit I was worried about before and..." her words were replaced by a high pitched squeal as Zac lifted her body off the ground and began spinning her around. Her head fell back as she laughed loudly._

_"I told you you could do it, Van!" he smiled elatedly. He finally set her down and pressed his lips square against hers in a sound kiss. "I am so proud of you," he said smiling softly and stroking his thumb over her delicately flushed cheek._

::::/::::

They made small talk, mainly with each asking other about their respective family members and sending their greetings and loved.

"Van," Zac started. "Sucker Punch? You should be really proud of it. It was really great. You were great."

Vanessa flushed at the praise and momentarily stumbled over her words. "Thank you. You really liked it?"

"Liked it? Van it was awesome and like, I'd seen most of the filming and it still blew me away so people at the cinema? They won't know what's hit 'em," he laughed. "I'm really proud of you, you know?"

Vanessa felt a lump form in her throat and so she didn't address his statement for fear that the conversation would end with her blubbering. "The reviews, though," she sighed, feeling safe enough to make herself vulnerable to Zac. "They panned it."

"Well fuck 'em," he responded with a simplicity that made Vanessa smile. "You worked so hard on that and no one can take that away from you just cuz they don't like what the film's saying, okay?"

"But..."

"Van...tell me you aren't sitting there worrying about reviews." There was a definite guilty silence on the other end of the line and Zac sighed at this. "Vanessa...!"

"Okay fine, I am kind of worried, I admit it, but I'll stop okay?" she huffed.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Hey, Zac?" Vanessa began tentatively when the conversation lulled once more.

"Yeah?"

"Sucker Punch...that's all down to you, you know," she almost whispered, chewing shyly on her lower lip.

"What?" Zac spluttered with an incredulous laugh. "How on earth do you figure that?"

"Well, I'd bailed on that audition a whole bunch of times and you practically forced me to go. I probably would have never gone had it not been for you."

"Nah, come on," he chuckled. "I only reminded you of what you could bring to the film - you did all the hard work. I was nothing." on the other line, he waved off her praise.

"Liar. The training and everything; I'm not sure if I could've gotten through it without you there with me every night..." she continued shyly, breaching unsteady ground and blushing because of it: "Holding me when I cried and giving me massages ...running me baths..."

Zac spluttered with the feeling of awkwardness, feeling like a teenage boy once again. "I...well..."

"I owe you for that."

"Hey...!" he raised his voice slightly, recovering from his momentary stupor. "No, no, Van, you could never owe me," he said seriously, letting his words linger. "Never."

"Anyway, superstar," he said in a lighter tone and smiling. "You're probably tired so I'll let you go get some sleep."

"You don't..." she was going to ask him to stay, wanting them to speak into the early hours of the morning. But then, was that still a privilege she was entitled to? Did she have the right to make that request? "Yeah, I guess you're right, it is pretty late," she chuckled weakly, attempting to disguise her thought pattern. "Umm...thanks again for the gift and, you know, ahh...everything."

"No thanking required," Zac ensured. "Babe," without a second thought, he used a term with associations connotations that probably should have prevented his use of it.

Vanessa's voice was meek in reply "Zac?"

"I know..." he sighed heavily. "I know that things right now are kind of screwed, but...I love you, Van, despite all of that. You know that, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Good," he said smiling sadly.

"Zac," she whispered as though they were two children, sharing forbidden secrets and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "I love you, too,"

"I know. Good night, Van." his voice was calm and even and it barely quaked, but Vanessa knew him better than probably everyone except his own parents. She knew that in his eyes, there were tears as well.

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><p><strong>Please review! xoxo Nikki<strong>


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